Automatic door holder



J. W. LAURIN ETAL AUTOMATIC DOOR HOLDER March 25, 1952 Filea Feb. :5, 1950 INVENTORS JAMES W. LAURIN QQQ/ EUGENE LALJRlN ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC DOOR HOLDER James W. Laurin and Eugene Laurin, International Falls, Minn.

Application February 3, 1950, Serial No. 142,156

, 1 Claim. 1 o

This invention relates to catch devices for doors, gates and the like, and more particularly to a combination bumper member and catch device for automatically cushionin and fastening a door in open position whenlthe door is swung open, the device being particularly applicable to garage doors and the like.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combination bumper and catch device adapted to be employed with garage doors and the like for holding the same open, said device being very simple in construction, being easy to install, being sturdy in construction, and providing an efiicient means of securing a door in open position in a safe and reliable manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved combination door bumper and catch v which involves only a few parts, which is inex- Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a garage door and the ground adjacent thereto showing an improved combination door bumper and catch installed adjacent the door;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal, cross-sectional, detail view taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, detail view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, wherein one embodiment of an improved combination door catch and bumper according to the present invention is illustrated, I I designates a tubular support adapted to be driven into the ground at one side of a driveway adjacent a garage door I2, the post member ll having a pointed lower end l3 and being provided with an anchoring plate ll. As shown in Figure 1, the post member II is preferably mounted in a vertical position, and if so desired, the lower end thereof may be suitably anchored in cement, concrete or like. The top end of the post member is provided with a suitable cover or cap I5 which seals the post member against the entry of water.

Designated at [6 is a bar of resilient metal positioned transversely with respect to the post member II, said bar member being clamped between a metal plate I! and a pair of vertical members l8, is by means of U-bolts 20, 20 embracing the vertical post II and extending through the plate member l1 and the vertical members l8, [9, respectively above and below the member I6, as shown in Figure 3. The bar member I8 is merely a rectangular plate which connects the left ends of the U-bolts 20, 20, as viewed in Figure 2, and straddles the member IS. The vertically extending member [9 is reversely bent at 2| to provide a resilient, forwardly offset, spring arm 22 which is substantially vertical and which is forwardly spaced with respect to the ends of the U-bolts 20, 20, as shown in Figure 3. The horizontally extending member is is formed with a bend at 24, providing a forwardly facing, resilient loop carrying the forwardly extending sprin arm 25 which normally extends at right angles to the main portion of the horizontally extending member IS. The spring arm 25 is curved outwardly at its forward end,- as shown at 26, and then is sharply bent at 21 to define a rearwardly and inwardly inclined camming portion 28, said camming portion terminating in a portion 30 which is bent at an acute angle to the camming portion 28, defining a resilient detent element cooperating with the resilient upper member 22 to lock the door, shown in dotted view in Figure 2, in an open position.

The device is located substantially on the arc of travel of the outer vertical edge of the door and is arranged so that when the door is swung open, the lower portion of said outer vertical edge will engage the camming portion 28 and deflect the spring arm 25 outwardly, whereby the door may slip past said camming portion and engage the bumper element 22, at the same time allowing the detent element 30 to slip into engagement with the front surface of the door adjacent its outer vertical edge. It will be apparent that the momentum of the door provides sufliclent force to cause the door to swing into the position shown in Figure 2, the door then being held open. To close the door, the operator moves the spring arm 25 outwardly by engaging his foot with the tip 21 of said spring arm, thereby allowing the door to be swung free of the detent element 30, as shown in dotted view in Figure 2.

It will be further apparent that the door is cushioned when it is pushed open, by its camming engagement with the cam portion 28 of the spring arm 25 and also by its engagement with the resilient bumper element 22. Once the door has been swung to its open position in engagement with the bumper element 22 and detent element 30, as shown in dotted view in Figure 2, it is securely held against swinging, and will resist winds of high intensity and will not accidentally swing free.

The position of the member 16 on the post member ll may be readily adjusted by loosenin the nuts on the U-bolts 20 and setting the device to any desired position of elevation, for example, raising the device to the dotted line position adjacent the upper portion of the post member II, as shown in Figure 1, and similarly, the angular position of the device may be adjusted to its correct location for engaging the outer vertical edge of the door.

While a specific embodiment of a combination door bumper and catch device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a catch device for a door, a vertical post member adapted to be anchored in the ground adjacent said door, a pair of vertically aligned U-bolts engaged around said post member, a first plate member receiving the legs of said U-bolts and positioned against the post member, respective vertical strap elements connecting the vertically aligned side legs of the U-bolts, a horizontally extending bar disposed between the U-bolts and clampingly received between said first plate member and the strap elements, a spring arm integrally carried at one end of said bar, said spring arm projecting forwardly substantially at right angles to said bar, an inwardly inclined camming element carried at the end of said spring arm, and a resilient detent element carried by said camming element at its inner end, said bar being adjustable horizontally whereby the position of the resilient detent element may be adjusted horizontally relative to the post member so that the side marginal portion of a door may successively engage said camming element and detent element when the door is swung open.

JAMES W. LAURIN.

EUGENE LAURIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES v PATENTS Number Name Date 89,819 Wagner May 4, 1869 109,692 Veer Nov. 29, 1870 914,179 Patterson Mar. 2, 1909 968,936 Hagerty Aug. 30, 1910 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 30,572 Great Britain Dec. '31, 1909 

